Bed-rail.



F. N. MARTIN.

BED RML.

APPLICATION FILED uov.23, 1916.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 19,1918..

FFIQ.

FOSTER NEWTON MARTIN, 0F NEWBERRY, SOUTH CAROLINA.

BED-RAIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

Application filed November 23, 1916. Serial No. 133,007.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Fos'rnn Nnw'ron MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newberry, in the county of Newberry and State of South Carolina, have invented an Improvement in Bed-Rails, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in bed rails, and has for its object to provide a device of the character specified wherein means is provided in connection with the posts and the rails, for permitting the rail to be reversed, in order that the rails may be used with springs or with slats.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view with the rail arranged for a spring mattress.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the rail reversed.

- Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a portion of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a face view of the post.

In the present embodiment of the invention the rail which is of angle material consisting of a horizontal portion 1 and a vertical portion 2, i shown in connection with a post 3. This post has a radial extension 4, and the extension is provided in its outer end with a verticallyextending notch or recess 5, the said notch or recess extending from the top to the bottom of the extension, as shown more particularly in Figs. 5 and 6. This extension, as shown in these figures, has undercut ide walls, nd one of the walls 7 is straight or vertical and plane, while the other wall 8 is curved at its bottom, being of les width at the bottom than at the top, and having a continuous regular curve.

The bed rail is provided at each end with a web 9 perpendicular to the walls 1 and 2, and each of these webs is provided with a longitudinally extending lug 10. These lug are dove tail lugs, as shown, having undercut side walls, beveled at the same inclination as those of the notch or recess 5, and one wall 11 of each lug is plane, the other wall 12 being rounded, on the same curve as that upon which the wall 8 of the notch or recess is formed.

It will be noticed, however, from an in- Copies of this patent may be obtained for spection of Figs. 2, 5 and 6, that the curve of the wall 8 is only at the bottom, while the curve of the wall 12 extends the full length thereof. The plane faces 11 of the lugs 10 are at the same side of the rail, as are also the curved faces of the said lugs. With this arrangement it will be evident that either lug may engage with the notch or recess. For instance, in Fig. 1 the horizontal portion of the rail is above and the vertical portion is at the outer side, while in Fig. 2 the Vertical portion i still at the outer side, but the horizontal portion is below.

With the former arrangement, a spring mattress may be seated on the rails, resting on the portions 1 thereof, while in the latter case the slats may be arranged on the portions 1, and the portions 2 will be at their outer ends, preventing longitudinal movement of the said slats. The peculiar shape of the lugs and notches or recesses insures a perfect tight fit, and without any possibility of rocking movement of the rail.

Pressure on the rail, because of the peculiar arrangement, will have the effect of tightening the joint, the curved walls cooperating to press the straight walls more tightly together. There is no play nor looseness between the parts although the point of contact is only at the lower portion of the lug and recess.

I claim:

In a bedstead, the combination with the post carrying an extension having a socket provided with undercut side walls, one of the aid walls curving inwardly toward the b0ttom of the socket to restrict the same, and to form a cam surface at said lower end, the other wall being plane and a rail of angular material having at each end a web perpendicular to the portions of the rail, each web having a. longitudinally extending lug for engaging the socket of the extension, said lugs having under-cut side walls, and having one wall plane and rounded to fit the socket where the end of the lug is engaged with the socket and to permit the rail to be reversed for the purpose specified.

FOSTER NEWTON MARTIN.

Witnesses:

M. G. SHEPPARD, H. S. B. KIBLER.

five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

